Distributor for multicylinder internal-combustion engines



p 7, 1 A. BUCHMANN DISTRIBUTOR FOR MULTICYLINDER' INTERNAL-COMBUSTIONENGINES Filed May 13, 1952 \NvEHToR ALBIN BUCHMANN BYI Patented Sept. 7,1954 emrso;

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DISTRIBUTOR EORrMULTICYLINDER INTERNAL.- COMBUSTI'ONIENGINES f.

AlbimBiiclimann, Soleure, Switzerland, assignorw toiScintilla Ltd.',Soleure;-:Switzerland .1:

Al pli ationMay 13,1.1952, SeriaLNo. 7287,6311 L Claimspriority-'yapplicatioir Switzerland May 19, 1951 1 Various; devices.have'tbeen provided' 1101' zpre+- venting- ..interference in 5 radio andtelevision" re=i ceptio'n E which is .causednby unscreened :ignition'.systems of motor vehicles: These .dBVlCBSTigSH-J" erally *take theformof high-i-ohmici resistors" which are connecte'd to -the-leads of the:spark plugs" of the engines Themountingraof' suppress sors of thistype-is quite complicated .and'*ex'-" pensive because the numbenotsuppressors'mustequal the number of .spark plugs and becauseit: isnecessary to cut each lead-to each=spark plug and connectthe'thus-formed lead-ends of eachleadto the terminals of a support whichcarries a suppressorelement.

One "of the objects of the present'invention isto overcome allof theabove disadvantages:

An additional objectof' thepresent invention is to provide a means-forsupporting: a single suppressor to beusedsuccessively' with each sparkplug .as'ithe' latter are fired.

A'furtherobject of the present invention isto provide a"'rotor;fcr-' thedistributor of'an'internal combustion engine, which-"is capable ofsupporting therein a suppressor which-may be successively located inthecircuits of the several sparkplugs; as the latter are fired;

A 'stillfurther object of the present invention is to enable asuppressor of the above type to be cooled during operation'of theengine-- Yet another object of the presentinvention-is to mount-yasuppressor in a distributor rotor in sucha way that balancedcentrifugalforcesare set upduring turning of the rotor.

The objects of'the present-invention also include the provision of adistributorrotor which isof a relatively simple construction andcapable--- of having'a suppressor easily attached to and removedtherefrom.

Withthe above objects in view; the present invention mainlyconsistsofadistributor rotor having a body of electricallynon-conductive' material'adapted tobe rotatably mountedon-thedistributor and being formed with a freespace; A- first electricalconductor, adapted *to receive current froma sourceof electricity; isoon-nected to this body for rotation therewith' and has-a portionlocatedin said "'freespa'ce f said body.

A second electrical conductor-is connectedto'saidada-ptedatocsuccessively pass-by the points 5 durbody forrotation'therewitlrand also *has aportion located in said free space ofsaid body. This ductor and is adaptedto'-successive1y* contact the== 2.located xinr this free space.- and electrically1,'con1 nectedtowthe;above-mentioned first and second I conductors-pthe ssuppressorwill comp1ete -a circuit: through these-conductorsand.will be-suc- 1cessively associated-with each of .the spark plugs as-thevlatter arefired, to' prevent interference. iniradio andtelevision reception. Thefree-space in which the; suppressor. is located :passes through thenrotor body and is located about an intermediate portion of thesuppressor so-as to cause air: to 1 pass: over i the same; duringoperation of thez-.engine,-.tocool the-suppressor. The sup pressoris-mounted in the-rotor'body in a sym metricahposition withrespect tothe axis of ro- =tation ofthe. rotor body so as to prevent the creation.of unbalanced centrifugal forces;-

The novel features which are" considered .315 characteristic i for theinvention are set forth I in particular "in-the. appended claims. Theinvention-itself;- however,-both asto its construction and its method ofoperation, together with tadditional obj ectsand advantagesthereof willbe best understood from: the 'followingdescription; ofspecificembodiments .when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:.

Figcl is-aacentral; elevational. sectional view through a rotorconstructedin accordance with thepresent invention and 1 taken alongline- I-I of Fig. 2-; and

Fig.2 is-a sectional plan view ofthe' structure of Fig. :1-takenalong-lineII--II: of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings," there is shown in .Fig. 11 a rotorhaving an electrically non-con-- ductivebody-i I adapted to. be mountedon I a dis- 7 tributorfor rotationabout theaxis 3.. The body.

I has :a bottom --recess "2 provided :witha-key-' way and adapted toreceive apart of the distributor whichais' rotated so that the rotorbodyI will be positively rotated aboutthe axis3.;

An electricaleonductor' l, leading'from a source a of electricity such 1asthe battery of theivehicle. contacts an L-shaped electrical.cooductori-fi which 3 is partly embedded in the rotor body' 'I withone."- arm: of: the: electricalv conductor 6 being: normal ;,-toand-intersecting the axis of rotation 3 and:-

theothenarnr ofthe electricalconductorfi being- 1 parallel -t0.- theaxis of "rotation 3.

A -second L'rShHFPBdelectrical conductor 1 also is partly embedded inthe -rotor body- 1 and-is inggrotation -nofi therotor: body 'I one. ofthese-w pointstc5 being.adiagrammatically; illustrated in Fig. '2' in:associationcwith ithe conductor 1;. parts" of ':which iSP-ShDWII-lDi-idOtIdfllShSi1lHeS33inTFig;'-. 2;.-

3 axis of rotation 3 and another leg parallel to this axis.

The rotor body I is formed with a bore 9 having an axis 8 extending in adirection normal to and intersecting the axis of rotation 3. A part ofthe conductor I extends across this bore 9 and a part of the conductor 6is located at an end of the bore 9. The bore 9 is threaded at the partthereof adjacent to the conductor I, and the latter is formed with athreaded opening forming a continuation of the threaded part of bore 9so that a plug I I, which is electrically conductive, may be threadedlymounted in the bore 9 and extend across the threaded opening ofconductor I.

The bore 9 is adapted to receive the cylindrical suppressor In which isa high-ohmic resistor and bears at one end against the conductor Ii tobe electrically connected thereto. Suppressor ID bears at its other endagainst the plug I I, the latter serving to maintain the suppressor II)in a fixed position on the rotor body I. The parts are designed so thatthe cylindrical suppressor II] is symmetrically located with respect tothe axis of rotation 3 to prevent unbalanced centrifugal forces duringrotation of the rotor. The plug I I is hollow and carries therein aspring I2 which bears against the suppressor In to prevent anyvariations in the location of the latter due to vibrations which may beset up during operation of the distributor.

The rotor body I is provided with a transverse opening I3 formingtogether with the bore 9 a free space in which the suppressor I islocated. This transverse opening I3 is located about an intermediatepart of the suppressor I0, extends in a direction normal to the axis ofrotation 3 and axis 8 of bore 9 and passes completely through the rotorbody I so as to provide an air passage which causes air to pass over thesuppressor I0 during rotation of rotor body I to cool the suppressor. Itwill be noted that the suppressor is in contact with the rotor body Ionly at relatively small opposite end portions of the suppressor so thatthe latter is cooled over almost the entire length thereof.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofdistributors for multicylinder internal combustion engines differingfrom the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied indistributor rotors for multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, it isnot intended to be limited to the details shown, since variousmodifications and structural changes may be made without departing inany way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A rotor for an ignition distributor to be used in a multi-cylinderinternal combustion engine, said rotor comprising, in combination, abody of electrically non-conductive material adapted to be rotatablymounted on the distributor for rotation about a predetermined axis andbeing formed with a free space extending all the way through said bodyand across said axis; a first electrical conductor adapted to receivecurrent from a source of electricity, being connected to said body forrotation therewith, and having a portion located adjacent said freespace on one side of said axis; and a second electrical conductorconnected to said body for rotation therewith, being spaced from saidfirst conductor, and also having a portion located adjacent said freespace of said body on an opposite side of said axis, said secondconductor being adapted to successively contact the points of thedistributor, whereby an electrically conductive suppressor, forpreventing interference to radio and television reception, may belocated in said free space of said body, extending across said space,and electrically connected to said conductors to complete a circuitthrough the same.

2. A rotor for an ignition distributor to be used in a multi-cylinderinternal combustion engine, said rotor comprising, in combination, a.body of electrically non-conductive material adapted to be rotatablymounted on the distributor for rotation about a predetermined axis andbeing formed with a free space extending all the way through said bodyand across said axis, said free space being substantially symmetricalwith respect to said axis; a first electrical conductor adapted toreceive current from a source of electricity, being connected to saidbody for rotation therewith, and having a portion parallel to said axisand located adjacent said free space on one side of said axis; and asecond electrical conductor connected to said body for rotationtherewith, being spaced from said first conductor, and also having aportion parallel to said axis and located adjacent said free space ofsaid body on an opposite side of said axis, said second conductor beingadapted to successively contact the points of the distributor, wherebyan electrically conductive suppressor, for preventing interference toradio and television reception, may be located in said free space ofsaid body, extending across said free space, and electrically connectedto said conductors to complete a circuit through the same.

3. A rotor as defined in claim 2 and wherein a part of said free spaceof said body is in the form of a cylinder located between said portionsof said conductors and extending in a direction normal to the axis ofrotation of said body so that a cylindrical suppressor may be located insaid free space.

4. A rotor as defined in claim 3 and wherein a second part of said freespace of said body passes completely through said body in a directionnormal to said axis of rotation and saidcylindrical part of said space,said second part of said free space intersecting and being located aboutsaid cylindrical part thereof to provide air cooling of a suppressorsupported in the cylindrical part of said space.

5. A rotor as defined in claim 2 and wherein said portion of one of saidconductors is formed with a threaded bore adapted to receive a plug forholding a suppressor between said portions of said conductors and insaid free space.

6. A rotor as defined in claim 5 and wherein an electrically conductivethreaded plug is located in said threaded bore.

7. A rotor as defined in claim 6 and wherein said plug is formed with arecess facing the axis of rotation of said body and wherein a spring ismounted in said recess to press against an endof a supressor located insaid free space between said portions of said conductors.

8. A rotor for an ignition distributor to be used in a multi-cylinderinternal combustion engine, said rotor comprising, in combination, abody of electrically non-conductive material adapted to be rotatablymounted on the distributor for rotation about a predetermined axis andbeing formed with a free space extending through the body across saidaxis; an elongated suppressor, for preventing interference in radio andtelevision reception, mounted at opposite end portions on said body forrotation therewith and having an intermediate portion extending throughsaid free space and being entirely out of contact with said body so asto be air-cooled when said body rotates; and electrically conductivemeans passing through said body and being electrically connected to saidsuppressor for conveying electrical current from a source ofelectricity, through the suppressor and to the points of thedistributor.

9. A rotor as defined in claim 8 and wherein said suppressor extends ina direction normal to said axis of rotation and to the direction of saidfree space.

10. A rotor for an ignition distributor to be used in a multi-cylinderinternal combustion engine, said rotor comprising, in combination, abody of electrically non-conductive material adapted to be rotatablymounted on the distributor for rotation about a predetermined axis andbeing formed with a free space extending through the body in a directionnormal to said axis; a suppressor, for preventing interference in radioand television reception, mounted on said body for rotation therewithand having an intermediate portion extending through said free space soas to be air-cooled when said body rotates, said suppressor beingsymmetrically located with respect to said axis of rotation so as toproduce balanced forces during rotation of said body; and electricallyconductive means passing through said body and being electricallyconnected to said suppressor for conveying electrical current from asource of electricity, through the suppressor and to the points of thedistributor.

11. A rotor for a distributor to be used in a multi-cylinder internalcombustion engine, said rotor comprising, in combination, a body ofelectrically non-conductive material adapted to be mounted on thedistributor for rotation about a predetermined axis, said body beingformed with a free space extending through the same in a directionnormal to said axis and being symmetrical with the latter, and said bodybeing formed with a pair of opposite bore portions communicating withsaid free space and being located along a second axis normal to saidaxis of rotation and the direction in which said free space extends, oneof said bore portions being threaded in at least a part thereof; a firstL-shaped electrical conductor adapted to successively contact thedistributor points, being at least partially embedded in said body andhaving a portion parallel to said axis of rotation, extending throughsaid threaded part of said one bore portion, and being formed with athreaded opening forming a continuation of said threaded part of saidone bore portion; a second L-shaped electrical conductor adapted to beconnected to a source of electricity, being at least partly embedded insaid body and having a portion parallel to said axis of rotation andextending into the other of said bore portions; an elongated suppressorfor preventing interference in television and radio reception, havingopposite end portions one of which is located in said other bore portionagainst said second conductor and the other of which is located in saidone bore portion spaced from said first conductor; and an electricallyconductive, outwardly threaded plug threadedly engaging said threadedpart of said one bore portion, passing through said threaded bore ofsaid first conductor, and being located against said other end portionof said suppressor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,570,084 Russell Jan. 19, 1926 1,997,460 Fitzsimmons Apr. 9,1935 2,593,205 Short et al. Apr. 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 529,645 Great Britain Nov. 26, 1940

